Fusing machine



Nov- 11, 41 L. H. MORIN ETAL 2,262,192

FUSING MACHINE Filed Dec'. 16, 1937 2 s eets-she t 1 H .1 un a Y R M Y R v v m M m H T m s T mm A. A UP a v Nov. 11, 194-1. 1.. H. MORIN E+AL 2,262,192

FUSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 16, 19 37 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 "llllll-llllllll 53 llllflllll hm 1 1 INVENTOR n lllllllllll I ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv FUSING MACHINE Louis H. Morin and Davis Marinsky, Bronx, N. Y., assignors to Whitehall Patents Corporation, Bronx, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 16, 1937, Serial No. 180,163

9 Claims.

This invention relates to machines or apparatusfor treating or fusing the stringer tape of separable fastener stringers and the links thereon, when composed of thermoplastic material, to securely attach or couple the thermoplatic links with the stringer tape. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine or apparatus having means for applying a fusing element or solvent to the stringer tape and the links thereon and for supporting the links firmly upon the tape afterthe application of said element, for a sufficient period of time to facilitate setting or hardening of said element. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description and the annexed drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is disclosed and in which the separate parts of our improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side and sectional view diagrammatically illustrating an apparatus made according to our invention with parts of the construction broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a part of the construction shown in Fig. 1 omitting certain parts of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the other end portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a partial section on the line 55 of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is a broken section substantially on the line 66 of Fig, 4.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a part of the conveyor chain which we employ, and

Fig. 8 is a cross section on th broken line [-8 of Fig. 7.

In the construction shown we employ an elongated frame consisting of a channel-iron rail Ill which is mounted upon suitably spaced leg members I! to support the rail at a convenient height above a floor or other surface, tie-rods [2 being employed as additional supports for the frame and passing through the leg members ll. Supported at the discharge end of the machine is an electric drive motor 3 which drives a worm on a shaft M, the shaft l4 being driven through a belt or chain l5 from the motor I3. The worm, which is not shown, drives a worm gear I6 on a shaft I1, the shaft being coupled with a drive shaft l8 through a chain IS.

The shaft I8 is shown on a larger scal in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This shaft extends longitudinally of the rear surface of the rail i0 and is arranged in suitable bearings and is geared directly to a substantially similar shaft 2|! through gears 2| and 22 as seen at the left of Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The inner'end portions of the shafts l8 and 20 have beveled gears 23 and 24 adjustably keyed thereto to mesh with other beveled gears 25 and 26 respectively, the latter being secured t stub shafts 21 and 28 having bushings 29 and 30 which are adjustably supported in elongated apertures Illa in the channel frame or rail Ill. The adjustment is provided to take up slack that may prevail in the drive chains 3|, 3|a which are driven from the stub shafts 21, 28 through sprockets 32 and 33 secured to said stub shafts at the front face of the rail Ill.

The rail H1 is provided with other elongated apertures lllb outwardly of the apertures Illa inwhich pulley supporting blocks 34 are adjustably mounted, said blocks supporting freely rotatable pulleys 35, 36 around which rubber belts 31, 31a are free to pass. These belts are composed of readily compressible rubber or similar material having sufiicient resilient properties to perform the function later set forth. A series of apertures 38 are provided longitudinally of the rail III to provide for the adjustment of the blocks 34.

The chains 3|, 3|a are of identical construction and therefore the brief description of one will apply to both. These chains are composed of a series of links, each link being'constructed from two substantially similar parts, two similar parts being clearly represented at 39, 39a and the other similar parts being represented at 40, 40a. The parts 39, 39a each consist of a link portion 4| having an angular surface portion 42 terminating at its end in an outwardly projecting retaining flange 43, the latter in conjuction with the surface portion 42 in a series of links, forming a substantially continuous channel throughout the outer-surface of each claim 3|, 3|a for receiving the belt 31, 31a.

It will be noted upon a consideration of Fig. 7 of the drawings that adjacent links of the complete chain have the flange 43 disposed at opposite sides of the chain, which arrangement is sufficient to retain the belt against displacement from the chain. The parts 4| of the links are arranged adjacent the link parts 4|], 40a and overlap each other where they are coupled together by the pivot or rivet pins 44. Bushings 45 are arranged on the pins between the link parts 4|, 40a to space said parts thereon and also to provide suitable bearings for engaging the drive sprockets 32, 33 at the drive end of the machine and similar idler sprockets 32a, 33a at the other end of the machine, the latter being rotatably mounted on fixed shafts or pins 46 and 41.

The link parts also include centrally thereof inwardly projecting rounded flange portions 48 which cooperate with, a fixed guide plate 49, and a movable guide plate 55, which are arranged longitudinally of the machine to maintain the chains and belts in proper alinement as well as in forming a vise-like structure which applies a more or less constant pressure upon adjacent portions of the chains 3!, 3m and corresponding adjacent portions of the two belts 31, 31a so as to apply pressure upon thermoplastic links 52 attached to a stringer tape 53 by substantially imbedding the links and the tape between adjacent surfaces of the belts 31, 31a as clearly seen in cross section in Fig. of the drawings. This pressure is maintained constant and substantially uniform throughout the entire length of the two belts, that is to say, the length occupied by adjacent surfaces of the belts except for a short length at the drive end of the machine.

Suitable brackets 54 are secured to the front face of the rail It by bolts 55 and a machine screw 55a, note Fig. 2 of the drawings, the brackets being secured at longitudinal intervals on said rail as will appear in the diagrammatic illustration in Fig. 1. These brackets form the supports for the fixed guide plate 49 as well as for the adjustable and spring actuated guide plate 55, the latter having elongated apertures 55a to provide free vertical movement on one bolt 5%, said bolt having an anti-frictional bushing 550 which operates in the slot a, note Fig. 5. Tension arms 56 engage the plate 50 under the tension of springs 51 arranged on Vertical rods 58 which pass through the arms 56 and are secured to the brackets .54, nuts 59 being employed to regulate the tension of the springs 51.

The brackets 54 include upwardly extending portions 54a adjacent the arms to provide a wide surface support of the movable plate 50 chain 3| passes over anti-frictional rollers 60 3 supported on brackets 6| secured to the rail ill at spaced intervals as diagrammatically illustratedin Fig. 1.

At the inlet end of the machine a work-piece supporting table 62 is supported in connection with the rail It! so as to receive and support the stringer tape 53 with the links 52 thereon, prior to the passage of the tape into and between the adjacent surfaces of the belts 31, 31a. Suitable guides '63 and '64 are provided on the surface of the table for locating the stringer tape in its passage beneath a discharge nozzle 65 as well as with respect to the belts 31, 31a.

The invention as herein illustrated relates to the secure attachment of thermoplastic links to the mounting or stringer tape in forming what is known as separable fastener stringers, and particularly where the thermoplastic links are first die cast directly upon the tape and arranged in definite group links on a long or substantially endless tape. That is to say, the groups of links will be in definite stringer lengths depending upon the length of the fastener to be formed by the links in each group.

In this particular process the cast links are actually secured to the tape, but it is desired to more firmly and positively retain the links against displacement from the tape. For this reason a means of fusing or cementing the links to the tape is provided by discharg ng from the nozzle 65 upon the tape 53, adjacent the links 52, a fine spray or deposit of a suitable solvent for the material of the links, which, for instance, if the links are made of acetate cellulose, may be acetone. The solvent passes through the tape by capillary attraction to the surfaces of the links directly engaging the tape, thus softening such Surfaces by the solvent so that when pressure is applied the links will be firmly secured in position.

In connection with this specific adaptation of the invention it will be apparent that our improved apparatus may be used in attaching thermoplastic or similar elements to any kind of a mounting member regardless of the manner of forming and originally attaching the thermoplastic elements to the mounting member, and in fact may be used as a means for securing any two elements together especially where it is required to hold the elements in firm engagement over a period of time suflicient to allow the fusing element to evaporate or substantially evaporate.

In the present illustration we have diagrammatically shown in Fig. l of the drawings a container 66 for the fusing element or solvent employed. The container is mounted in an inverted position upon a cup-shaped receptacle 61, being suitably vented to permit the feed by gravity, of the solvent downwardly through a tube 68. The

tube 68 opens into a discharge cylinder ESQ-adjustably supported upon the rail If] by brackets '18, "H coupled together by a milled screw 12 and adjustable vertically in the frame lli by a similar screw 13 operating in an elongated slot 14 in said frame.

The cylinder 69 has the nozzle 65 at its lower end. This nozzle is controlled by a needle valve 15 which is adjustably supported in the bracket it and which may be used as the shut-off valve for closing the nozzle 65 at will.

The table 62 is provided beneath the nozzle 65 with an opening 16 beneath which is a troughlike discharge 1! which may be directed to a suitable receptacle for recovering any drip or loss of the solvent employed, and to prevent the solvent from contacting the floor or other surface upon which the machine is mounted. Arranged over the inlet end of the machine is a relatively large hood [8 having a discharge outlet tube 19 which may be exposed to a suitable fan, not

shown, so as to draw the fumes from the stringer tape 53 immediately after it has been treated with the solvent. The use of the hood [8 is not absolutely essential but would be a protection, from a fire-prevention standpoint, especially in using a solvent such as acetone.

At the drive or discharge end of the machine the stringer tape may be discharged from the belts 31, 31a directly into a suitable receiver; whereas in some uses of the invention and especially where the belts are driven at a higher rate of speed, the stringer tape may be passed from the conveyor belts directly into a drying appar'atus 8i] employing steam coils or other drying mediums 8| having suitable temperature control means as indicated at 82. From the dryer the stringer tape may be collected in a suitable receiver 83 as diagrammatically illustrated.

It will be apparent that the machine or apparatus may be of any desired'length depending to some degree upon the particular fusing, cementing or adhering operation be performed between any two parts. It will appear, however, that the pressure rail 50 in conjunction with the backing-up or fixed rail 49 will be disposed throughout substantially the entire length of the chain driven operation of the belts, or in other words, between the drive sprockets 32 and 33 and the idler sprockets 32a, 33a. The adjustment of the drive sprockets 32, 33 will maintain the desired tension or tautness in the drive chains 3|, 3la. without establishing any unnecessary stress or strain, whereas the independent adjustments of the belts 31, 31a, made possible by the adjustable blocks 34, will take up any unnecessary slack that may prevail in the belts after a continued use thereof so as to maintain the proper rela tionship of the belts with respect to the drive chains in the use of the apparatus.

In this connection it will be understood that the belts pass around and are movable with the chains where they pass around the sprockets 32a, 33a and are simply carried by the chains and actually constitute a part of the chain structure where said belts are held under compression by the elements 49 and 50 so that there is no relative longitudinal movement of the belts with respect to the chains throughout said compression area. The belts 31, 310. are preferably composed of highly resilient material so that the links 52 will be readily imbedded between adjacent surfaces of the belts while at the same time establishing sufficient pressure to firmly squeeze the links upon the tape and hold the same in this squeezed condition for the period of time governed by the length of the chain and the speed at which the chain may be driven.

It will appear that by constructing the chain of the two substantially identical link parts 40, 40a, 4|, 49a, the chain may be produced at a nominal cost. As a matter of fact, the entire machine structure is composed of economical frame and other parts which are duplicated wherever it is possible to do so throughout the entire mechanism.

In the separable fastener stringer devices herein specifically referred to, it is understood that these devices are made of the lengths of many Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for holding work-pieces together in the operation of cementing the same, two yieldable bodies between which the workpieces are adapted to be arranged, independent backing members for supporting said bodies in juxtaposition while feeding said bodies with the work-pieces therebetween through a path of predetermined length, and tensional means urging at least one of said backing members in the direction of the other.

2. In a machine for automatically and continuously cementing the links of a separable fastener to the fastener tape, means for moistening the tape with a solvent for the links, yielding pressure means for pressing the links against the moistened tape and means for moving said pressure means to carry the tape and links away from the point of application of the solvent with said pressure means pressing the links against the tape.

3. Ina machine for automatically and continuously cementing the links of a separable fastener to the fastener tape, means for moistening the tape with a solvent for the links, yielding pressure means for pressing the links against the moistened tape, means for moving said pressure means to carry the tape and links away from the point of application of the solvent with said pressure means pressing the links against the tape, and means for drying the links and tape when removed from said yielding pressure means.

4. A machine of the class described comprising an elongated frame, means for supporting two chains longitudinally of said frame with adjacent surfaces of the chains in juxtaposition, means for driving the chains in synchronism, a backing member extending longitudinally of each chain throughout substantially the entire juxtaposed length of said chains, tensional means for urging one of said members in the direction of the other, means associated with said chains forming uniform surfaces for engaging predetermined workpieces between adjacent portions thereof, and said last named means comprising resilient material to partially conform to the contour of said workpieces in equalizing the pressure applied thereto under the action of said tensional means.

5. A machine of the class described comprising an elongated frame, means for supporting two chains longitudinally of said frame with adjacent surfaces of the chains in juxtaposition, means for driving the chains in synchronism, a backing member extending longitudinally of each chain throughout substantially the entire juxtaposed length of said chains, tensional means for urging one of said members in the direction of the other, resilient means overlying adjacent surfaces of said chains forming uniform surfaces for engaging associated workpieces therebetween, means at the admission end of said machine for selectively applying a treating compound to said workpieces, and said resilient means being adapted to partially conform to the contour of said workpieces thereby equalizing the pressure applied thereto by said tension means and facilitating firm uniting of said associated workpieces under the influence of said compound.

6. A machine of the class described comprising an elongated frame, means for supporting two chains longitudinally of said frame with adjacent surfaces of the chains in juxtaposition, means for driving the chains in synchronism, a backing member extending longitudinally of each chain throughout substantially the entire juxtaposed length of said chains, tensional means for urging one of said members in the direction of the other, resilient means overlying adjacent surfaces of said chains forming uniform surfaces for engaging associated workpieces therebetween, means at the admission end of said machine for selectively applying a treating compound to said workpieces, said resilient means being adapted to partially conform to the contour of said workpieces thereby equalizing the pressure applied thereto by said tension means and facilitating firm uniting of said associated workpieces under the influence of said compound, and other means associated with said machine for removing excess compound from said workpieces.

7. A machine of the class described comprising an elongated 'frame, means for supporting two chains longitudinally of said frame with adjacent surfaces of the chains in juxtaposition, means for driving the chains in synchronism, a backing member extending longitudinally of each chain throughout substantially the entire juxtaposed length of said chains, yieldable means for urging one of said members in the direction of the other, means between adjacent surfaces of said chains for supporting predetermined workpieces between said chains throughout, the juxtaposed length thereof, said last named means comprising resilient belts movable together with adjacent sections of the chains and adapted to partially conform to the contour of said workpieces thereby equalizing the pressure applied thereto by said yieldable means, and means for adjustably supporting said belts independent of the support of the chains in said machine.

8. A machine of the class described for forming an integral bond between associated workpieces, said machine comprising an elongated rail-like frame, means involving sprockets at each end portion of the frame for supporting two endless chains to move longitudinally of the frame with adjacent portions of the chains arranged one upon the other and in juxtaposition, means for driving one of the sprockets of each chain to operate said chains in synchronism, one adjacent portion of the chain moving over a fixed guide plate arranged longitudinally of the chain intermediate the sprockets thereof, a correspondinglyarranged movable guide plate cooperating with the corresponding adjacent por-' tion of the other chain, tensional means for urging the last named plate and chain in the direction of the first mentioned chain throughout the length of the movable guide plate, means for selectively applying solvent to said workpieces before passage thereof between said chains, meansassociated with said chains and movable therewith forming resilient surfaces contacting: said workpieces and adapted to conform substantially, tothe contour of said workpieces, in qualizing the pressure applied thereto through said tensional means.

9. In combination, two endless chains having parallel reaches closely adjacent each other, means for yieldingly urging said reaches towards each other, two endless rubber belts supported by but disconnected from said chain and having reaches thereof extending between said adjacent reaches of th chain and in contact with each other, means for adjusting the tensions on said belts independently of the tensions of said chains, means for cementing articles to a tape in spaced relation thereon, and means to guide said tape with the articles thereon between said reaches of the belts, whereby said articles are pressed firmly against the tape while being maintained in their spaced relation.

LOUIS H. MORIN. DAVIS MARINSKY. 

